Temporary door



M. J. FORD TEMPORARY DOOR Nov. 9, 1965 Filed March 19, 1962 INVENTOR;

MICHAEL J. FORD Sttes This invention relates to a temporary door and,more particularly, to a temporary door for a freight vehicle.

The temporary door with which the instant invention is concerned ispanel-like in construction and finds advantageous utility in confininggranular materials. Heretofore, two basic types of panels or barrierswere employed in freight vehicles. The older utilized built-up timbers,for example, to close the doorways of grain-carrying freight cars.During the last twenty years or so, this technique has been supersededby the use of paperboard panels, reinforced by steel strapping. A numberof disadvantages attend either expedient. The timber barricades areexpensive and ponderous. The use of the lighter weight paperboardbarriers usually resulted in splintering of the door posts. This followsfrom the fact that the securing nails were driven at an angle toproperly tension the metal straps reinforcing the otherwise flexible andrupturable paperboard barriers. It would be desirable to provide a panelthat combines the advantages of both of the previously-employedbarricades without the disadvantages of either, and the achievement ofthis constitutes a principal objective of this invention.

Another object of the invent-ion is to provide a lightweight, readilystackable panel for use in connection with freight vehicles. Thelong-used wooden barricades, if they were prefabricated, could bestacked and subjected to weathering. However, their ponderous naturelimited this application. On the other hand, the priorused paperboarddoors, although thin to facilitate stacking, were essentially incapableof standing up under adverse weather. Further, the paperboard panelswere of considerable extent, which made their handling difiicult. Theinstant invention unites the advantageous lightweight of thepreviously-employed paperboard doors with the stackability of the woodendoors.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the detailsof construction and operation set down in this specification.

The invention will be described in conjunction with an illustrativeembodiment in the accompaning drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentaryperspective view of a freight vehicle showing the inventive panel doorsinstalled in place;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of theinstallation of FIG. 1 such as would be seen along the sight line 22applied to FIG 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but in which an alternative form ofsecurement of the dependent flap portion is illustrated;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a door panel securedto a doorway framing post of the freight vehicle; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the flap portion utilized in connectionwith the construction seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the illustration given, and with particular reference to FIG. 1, thenumeral designates generally a freight vehicle which is seen infragmentary form, being defined by a floor 11, side walls 12, andvertically-extending, doorway framing posts 13 and 14, the doorwayitself being designated by the numeral 15. It will be immediately iceappreciated that in a boxcar, two such doorways 15 are provided, and inFIG. 1, it is seen that a pair of opposed closures generally designated16 are provided.

Reference to FIG. 4 shows the doorway framing posts 14 and the usualsill plate 17, along with the car floor 11. Installed across the doorway15 and secured to the framing post 14 by means of a nail 18 is theinventive door panel 19.

The panel 19, as best seen in FIG. 4, is constructed of a corrugatedpaperboard or fibrous body generally designated 20, which includes aninner liner 21, a corrugated core 22, and an outer liner 23. Positionedwithin the body 20 and between the core 22 and outer liner 23 is aplurality of flat sheet steel straps each designated 24.

As a specific example of the inventive construction, the liner sheets 21and 23 may be constructed of 42 pounds per ream kraft paper, with thecorrugated core 22 being constructed of 33 pounds per ream kraft. Thestraps 24 are A wide and 0.023 thick. Ordinarily, the panel 19 will beabout three feet high, so that two such panels are provided in stacked,edge-to-edge contacting relation to close the doorway 15 to asatisfactory height for the prevention of outflow of granular material.

Each panel 19 is equipped with a perimetric border generally designated25, which, in the illustration given, is seen to be constructed of sheetsteel formed on itself to develop a U shape or channel in cross section.30 gauge sheet steel may be advantageously employed for the border 25.The border 25 is seen to be made up of generally flat sides 26 and 27,united at the edge of the body 20 by a bight portion 28. Preferably foursuch borders are provided as at 29, 30, 31 and 32 as applied to FIG. 1.The border 31 is seen to be in overlapping relation with the borders 30and 32 at the upper corners of the panel 19, while the border 29overlaps the borders 30 and 32 at the lower corners.

Each border 29-32, as the case may be, is optimally secured to the body20 by means of stitching 33. The stitching makes use of a heavy metalwire thread and can be essentially a continuous operation along thelength of a given border 25. Excellent results are also obtainable whenthe stitching is interrupted along the length of each border 29-32, asthe case may be, being placed, however, in alignment with each of thestraps 24, which are generally coextensive with the body 20, as can beappreciated from FIG. 4.

In the illustration given, each border 29-32 is equipped with anoutwardly-extending head or deformed portion 34 (best seen in FIG. 4).The bead or grooving 34 serves to pro-tension the strapping 24 andeffectively minimizes bulging of the panels 19, thus achieving aninstallation analogous to that of the heretofore-employed woodentimbers. It will be appreciated that the Wooden barricades wereessentially nondeformable, while the paperboard barriers werecharacterized by considerable bulging, which resulted in abrasion whenthe usual sliding storm doors were opened and closed, as during asampling operation.

The provision of the beading 34 is also advantageous in that itfacilitates the stacking of the panels in a nested, aligned condition.It will be appreciated that one of the principal areas of grain leakageor seepage is along the vertical joint between the temporary door andthe doorway framing posts 13 and 14. In the past, when wooden doors havebeen utilized, it has been necessary to employ gasketing material, andthe like, to insure the absence of gaps or leaks. With thepreviously-employed paperboard doors, additional side battens, nailingstrips, etc., had to be employed. In any event, this required additionalnailing, and one of the principal causes of freight car deterioration isthe splintering of door posts by virtue of removal of the nails securingthe temporary doors in place.

During unloading, the temporary doors are usually removed by means of aram provided as part of the car tilting mechanism. The ram serves tourge the panels 19 inwardly and out of securement with the door posts 13and 14. Through the employment of the rigidifying border 25, it ispossible to utilize nails 18 driven in essentially straight, ascontrasted to the above-referred-to angled nailing so that a clean holeis left when the panels 19 are removed. Also, it will be noted that thenails 18 are preferably installed in alignment with the straps 24. Incertain instances, it may be advantageous for a particular usage toperforate the straps 24 to accommodate the passage of the nails 18.Further, in some instances, it may be preferable to construct the panels25 out of nonmetallic material such as paperboard, plastic, etc., inwhich instance it is additionally possible to conveniently apply printeddot indicia in alignment with the perforated nail openings orperforations in the straps 24. Also in certain instances it may provedesirable to secure the borders 25 together at the corners by means ofrivets rather than the continuation of stitching as indicated above.

A consideration of FIG. 2 reveals the vertically-stacked relation of thepanels 19 and 19'. Here, it will be appreciated that the panel 19' isidentical with the panel 19 except that the various parts are designatedby the same numeral but with the addition of a prime. In certaininstances, it has been found advantageous to provide an additional sealfor the line of union U existing between the upper panel 19 and thelower panel 19. The additional seal is designated generally by thenumeral 35, and is seen to include an upstanding portion 36, ahorizontal portion 37, and a depending portion 38. As illustrated inFIG. 2, the seal is constructed of corrugated paperboard having an innerliner 39, a corrugated core 40, and an outer liner 41. The transverseportion 37 is developed by scoring and folding the seal 35 alonghorizontal lines as at 42 and 43. It will be appreciated that the flutesof the corrugated core are vertically disposed in the portions 36 and38, corresponding to the disposition of the flutes in the corrugatedcore 22 of the main panel 19.

A similar sealing member generally designated 44 is provided along thelower edge of the lower panel 19, the seal 44 having an upstandingportion 45 and a horizontally-extending portion 45 which also serves asa floor flap. Optimally, the upstanding portion 45 may be equipped witha sheet steel strap 47' similar to the straps 24.

In installation, the seal piece 44, which can be seen in FIG. 5, isfolded along the line of weakness 47 and positioned with the portion 46on the floor immediately inward of the sill plate 17, with theupstanding portion 45 abutting the inside of the doorway framing posts13 and 14. The upstanding portion 45 may be secured by nails, or thelike, to the framing posts 13 and 14. Thereafter, the lower panel 19 isset in place as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 and secured by means of the nails18. The next step calls for positioning of the upper seal member 35 inplace, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the seal piece 35 previously havingbeen folded, as seen in FIG. 2. The upstanding portion 36 again may betacked in place by nails, or the like, extending into the door posts 13and 14. Thereafter, the upper panel 19 is installed in a fashion similarto the lower panel 19.

With the above described installation, it will be seen that the flutesof the corrugated core 40 of the upper seal member 35 and the flutes ofthe corrugated core 48 of the lower seal member 44 are disposedtransverse of the length of the panels 19 and 19, respectively. Thispermits an advantageous compression to compensate for any lack ofprecise smoothness or evenness of the bight portions 28 of the longerborder members 29, 31 and 29'.

Further, through the stepwise installation procedure outlined above, itis possible to first install only the lower P nel 19 a d thereafter fiilthe car by means of a swivel loader. Swivel loaders conventionallyemployed develop a stream of grain which enters the car about four feetabove the floor. The grain stream is directed toward the ends of thecar, and thus the car may be loaded with only a partial closure inplace. Thereafter, the upper panel 19 and the seal member 35 may beinstalled.

The installation of the panels 19 and 19 is usually achieved by a cooperor carpenter working from inside the car. Because of the rigidifyingeffect provided by the border 25, it is possible for one man to cooperthe car alone. Also, the reinforced perimeter of the panels,particularly along the horizontal longitudinal sides, in combinationwith the vertically-extending flutes of the corrugated cores 22 and 22,makes it possible for the composite door to support the weight of thecooper as he climbs over the installed door to leave the car.

Where the widths of the doorways 15 are seven feet or more, it has beenfound advantageous to provide center bolsters, such as is designatedgenerally by the numeral 49 in FIG. 1. The bolster 49 includes across-tie wire 50 which has ends looped around center braces 51 providedon each panel 19. The center braces 51 optimally may be constructed ofstrapping such as the straps 24 looped around the panels 19 with anoverlap as at 52. The cross tie wire 50 extends between the center brace51 in the area of the overlap 52 and the main body 20 of the panel 19,the cross tie wire 50 being wound on itself as at 53 to provide a secureconnection.

In the assembly of the composite door making use of the seal members 35and 44, it may be advantageous to provide the members pre-connected tothe panels 19 or 19', as the case may be. Such is illustrated in FIG. 3,where the lower panel is designated generally by the numeral 119 and theseal member generally by the numeral 144. As before, the upstandingportion of the member 144 is equipped with a steel reinforcing strap asat 147. The seal member 144 is longitudinally scored as at 147 todevelop a lower floor flap portion as at 146. One method of securementof the member 144 to the panel 119 is through stitching as at 133, wherethe stitching, in addition to securing the border 129 to the body 120,ad ditionally secures the upstanding portion 145 thereto. Here, it willbe appreciated that other forms of securement may be advantageouslyutilized, such as staples, rivets, etc.

In the operation of the invention, the doorway is coopered closed, asindicated above, with the installation of the upper panel 19 dependingupon the type of equip ment employed for the filling of the car 10.After the car 16 is filled, the usual sliding storm doors are closed andsealed and the car delivered to a grain center such as Chicago, wherethe grain is sold on the grain exchange. For this purpose, it isnecessary for the brokers to have a sample of the grain from within thecar, and the seal on the storm doors is broken, permitting the artisanto enter to take a sample from various depths of the grain within thecar. In the past, it has been necessary to pry open the doors, since thebulging of the relatively flexible paperboard bodies created a pressureagainst the sliding storm doors that made them difiicult to open. Also,the wear and tear on the various bearings necessitated additional forcefor opening the doors than could be exerted by a single man standing outin the freight yards. For this purpose, a pointed pry-bar was employed.The sliding storm doors on boxcars can be opened a matter of two orthree inches by means of the latch and thereafter the pry-bar is thrustinto the car and against a lower abutment heretofore provided that actedas a pry-bar. This function, when needed with the inventive panels 19-aswhere the door bearings are distored-is provided by the lower border 29and aided by the upstanding portion 45 or 145, as the case may be. Theseal 144 aids in providing an anchor for the pointed tip of the pry-bar,while the reinforced border 129 prevents the pointed end of the pry-barfrom penetrating through the panel 19. After the sample has been taken,the boxcar is again closed and sealed, and thereafter removed to itsultimate destination. Hence, it is important that the integrity of thetemporary barrier be maintained until final delivery of thegrain-carrying car. This is advantageously achieved through theprovision of the border 25, since the additional thickness provided atthe area of possible penetration resists complete rupture of thetemporary door 16.

Also, the rigidification of the door by means of the borders 25 in theupper and lower panels 19 and 19, respectively, makes it convenient forthe sampling artisan to enter and leave the car by climbing over thedoor, which is fully capable of supporting the weight of the artisan.

While, in the foregoing specification, a detailed description of theinvention has been set down for the purpose of explanation thereof, manyvariations in the details herein given may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a temporary door for a freight vehicle,

(A) a fibrous body of generally planar, rectangular configuration,

(B) a plurality of fiat straps secured to said body in spaced-apartrelation parallel to the longer dimension of said body and generallycoextensive therewith,

(C) a channel-shaped border perimetrically mounted on said body, and

(D) stitching securing said border to said body and straps at least inthe border areas adjacent the ends of said straps.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said stitching is wire.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said straps and border areconstructed of sheet metal.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said border is defined by inner andouter sides arranged in parallel relation and connected by alongitudinally-extending bight portion, a bead in each side extendingparallel to and spaced from said bight portion.

5. In a temporary door of the character described,

(A) a generally rectangular planar panel constructed of corrugatedpaperboard, with said panel having a core with the flutes thereofextending transverse of the panel length,

(B) a plurality of spaced-apart, flat metal straps positioned in contactwith said core and extending parallel to the panel length and beinggenerally coextensive therewith,

(C) a channel-shaped border extending perimetrically about said panel,and

(D) means securing said panel, straps and border together to place saidstraps under tension, said means including a deformation of said borderfor upsetting a portion of each strap end from a planar configuration.

6. In combination,

(A) a freight vehicle having a doorway defined by vertically-extending,spaced-apart door posts and a horizontally-extending floor,

(B) a door closure for said doorway positioned against the inside ofsaid posts, said closure comprising a plurality of generallyrectangular, planar panels arranged in edge-stacked relation, each panelcomprising,

(1) a fibrous body of generally planar rectangular configuration,

(2) a plurality of flat straps secured to said body in spaced-apartrelation parallel to the longer dimension of said body and generallycoextensive therewith,

(3) a channel-shaped border perimetrically mounted on said body, saidborder being defined by inner and outer sides arranged in parallelrelation and connected by a longitudinallyextending bight portion, adeformation in each side parallel to and spaced from said bight portionand extending outwardly from said side to space said side from said doorposts, and

(4) stitching securing said border to said body at least in the borderareas adjacent the ends of said straps,

(C) means securing said panels to said posts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 885,725 4/08Conklin 160371 2,738,006 3/56 Suess 160-368 2,892,497 6/59 Pierson 160368 2,928,463 3/ Pierson -368 2,966,438 12/60 Ford 160-368 3,025,9083/62 Ford et a1 160-368 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, NORTON ANSHER,

Examiners.

1. IN A TEMPORARY DOOR FOR A FREIGHT VEHICLE, (A) A FIBROUS BODY OFGENERALLY PLANAR, RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION, (B) A PLURALITY OF FLATSTRAPS SECURED TO SAID BODY IN SPACED-APART RELATION PARALLEL TO THELONGER DIMENSION OF SAID BODY AND GENERALLY COEXTENSIVE THEREWITH, (C) ACHANNEL-SHAPED BORDER PERIMETRICALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BODY, AND (D)STITCHING SECURING SAID BORDER TO SAID BODY AND STRAPS AT LEAST IN THEBORDER AREAS ADJACENT THE ENDS OF SAID STRAPS.